It's Been A While
by x-Drarry-Lover-x
Summary: After years of being apart, Ash and Misty are finally reunited!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again! I had a great flash of inspiration, and am currently writing a longer Pokeshipping fic. So far, I have 3 chapters, but I'm still writing! The full thing will probably be finished by tomorrow or Saturday, as I'm busy Friday (that is, if my muse doesn't leave me before then!).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. If I did, Ash and Misty would have gotten together long ago.**

**I'd say that Ash and Misty are around 18. :) So yeah, enjoy!**

Ash stepped into the front room, spying the familiar grand piano and smiling. This was his baby. He'd always taken great care in ensuring that she was absolutely perfect. She was all he'd known, since before his gym badges, before his best friends, before even Pikachu. Over the years, he'd had to leave her behind whilst he took his adventures, and he had missed her greatly - To him, she was not an inanimate object, but an entire, living entity. He has been happy in the knowledge, however, that his mom had taken care of her while he was away; She had not gathered dust.  
He sat on the stool and lightly fingered the keys. Even after so many years, she was still beautiful. He began to play, slowly, softly. He played a few classics at first, which morphed into one of his own creation. It was a sweet melody, inspired by someone he could never quite put his finger on. He wished he could remember.  
As the piece played out, it got happier, faster. Ash had written it when he was home one time. It represented his emotions through the years. The end of the piece was sad, so sad. He rarely finished playing it, and even as he played it now, tears dropped on the keys. As the final notes echoed around the room, he heard a sigh.  
"It's beautiful, Ash." He whipped around at the sound of that oh-so-familiar voice. And there she was, surprisingly, wiping away tears. She wore different clothes now, a flowing skirt and a light tank top. Perfect for the summer heat. Her face was slightly different. Older. Wiser. Her body had filled out, becoming more mature; She was no longer the tomboy with the dangerous temperament. She was a woman. There was one thing that hadn't changed about her, though. Her fiery red hair. That was always going to be the same.  
"Misty?" He breathed. Without warning, they were hugging and laughing, yelling indistinguishable things at the same time.  
"I can't believe-"  
"It's been so-"  
"How have you-"  
"_Where_ have you-"  
"GUYS!" Delia Ketchum stepped into the room, laughing. "You have to stop to breathe at some point! How about we all catch up over lunch?" At this word, Ash grinned at Misty and raced into the kitchen. Misty looked at Delia and rolled her eyes.  
"Some things will never change..."

* * *

As per usual, Delia had cooked a fabulous meal. Ash and Misty were in a cheerful mood, reminiscing about the old times. "Remember when you fried my bike?"  
"Oh god, let's not bring that up again!" Ash laughed. "I almost got killed by a Gyarados, you should pity me! What about that time you met Caterpie and totally freaked out?"  
"That's not fair, you know I hate bugs." Misty pouted. They had finished their meals now and Delia was tidying up. Misty had offered to help but Delia told her to stop being so silly, she should catch up with Ash.  
"Yeah, you don't hate them when they save your life, do you?" Ash teased. Misty rolled her eyes but dropped it. "So, how have you been? I haven't heard from you in years!"  
"I've been good, yeah! My sisters came back eventually, but I stayed on to help them out with their responsibilities. I did think about coming to look for you, but... Well, I figured you must have moved on. Got some new friends. And then your mom called me a few days ago and told me you were home, and I dropped everything and ran here! I... I've missed you." A light blush coloured her face. "But what about you? How have you been? New adventures!"  
"Yeah, new regions, new gyms, new badges, new Pokémon, new friends... Everything's changed. Even me. I suppose I just... grew up. Pikachu's at Professor Oak's lab right now, catching up with it's friends. But I missed you, too." He smiled at her. Misty got a funny look on her face and stood up abruptly.  
"That's really great, Ash! I, er, think I'm gonna go see Pikachu.' She rushed out of the house, without a word of explanation or a goodbye.

**Pikapi! Pika! Chu!  
****Translation: Review! Please! For me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two! :)**

Misty bolted out of the house and into the warm sun. She decided to take the long way to Professor Oak's lab. She was grateful for the time to think. What on earth was that back there? All Ash had done was smile at her and she'd felt like she had a thousand Butterfrees flying around her stomach. She'd felt a lump rise in her throat, and she couldn't let him see her cry, so she'd just left. She couldn't understand why she wanted to cry, though. It was all so confusing to her. As the sunlight warmed her face, she composed herself. She wasn't a big girl. She never cried.  
As she walked, she let her mind drift to the years without Ash. She felt so empty. There was no adventure, no... fun. Her life consisted entirely of trainer after trainer, challenging her to the same inane battles over and over again. Her life at the gym had begun to get tedious, and frankly, she wanted to get back out there. She wanted the danger. The excitement. The friends. It had broken her heart when she'd had to leave. She cried all the way home, for the first and last time in her life. When she got back, she'd changed her mind. She told her sisters that she wouldn't do it, and she ran back to the place where she'd left Ash, but it was too late. He was already long gone.  
After that, she became numb. Even her sisters were worried about her, but she'd blocked out the emotions to avoid the pain. The moment she let herself feel, she hurt. She missed them all too much. It had felt like someone was choking her, squeezing her throat tighter and tighter. And then, she had gotten a call from Delia, telling her that Ash had come home and that she was welcome to visit. She had come immediately. What should have been a weeks walk, she managed in three days. She ran the entire way. The moment she saw him, it was like the hands had been taken from her throat. He was playing the piano. She'd had no idea that he could play, truth be told, but what he was playing was so beautiful so mesmerizing. She instantly fell in love with it.  
She looked up and saw that the lab was in sight. Misty grinned and ran up the drive. After a quick catch up with the Professor and Tracey, she went out into the garden and saw Pikachu happily playing with the other Pokémon.  
"Pikachu!" She called. The electric mouse looked around in question, and then recognized Misty, standing just at the top of the garden.  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, bounding up the garden and into her arms.  
"Oh, Pikachu, I've missed you so much! Let's go sit by the water over there." They ran over to the lake and Misty dipped her toes in the water. They conversed for a while - or conversed as best as a human and a Pokémon could, until they fell into a comfortable silence. They sat like this for a few minutes until Misty let out a sad sigh.  
"Pika?" Pikachu asked, concerned.  
"You ever been in love, Pikachu? I think I am..." She asked, dreamily. Shen then realised what she had and clapped a hand over her mouth. Why had she said that?! She wasn't in love! "Actually, forget I ever said that, I was just babbling."  
"Pika?!" Pikachu exclaimed. Misty turned beet red.  
"No! Of course not!" She couldn't believe it would ever suggest such a person. She couldn't even think about it.  
"Pikachu." it said, not convinced. Misty huffed, and then smiled at the mouse. She could never stay mad a Pikachu for too long, it was just too cute!  
"How about we go and see Ash, Pikachu?" They both got up and bounded back to the lab, laughing.  
Misty was silent on the walk back to Ash's house. When she thought of him, she thought about earlier, and the way she had felt after he had smiled at her. Even thinking about it now, her tummy was doing somersaults. She couldn't understand it, it was almost as if-  
Oh no. She was going to put that thought out of her mind, because Misty was certainly, most definitely, not in love with Ash Ketchum.

**R&R? :3**


	3. Chapter 3

Ash watched Misty run out of the house as if a Jigglypuff had appeared, and stood up to chase after her. "Just leave her be, Ash. She'll be back. She probably has a few things to figure out right now." Delia said from the doorway.  
"Things to figure out? Like what?"  
"Oh, I suppose you'll find out eventually." Delia smiled mysteriously and wandered away. Ash was puzzled by this, but went back into the front room, sitting back down at his piano. He began to play the sweet melody again, smiling as he did so. This time, he only shed a single tear. A tear that was reminiscent of something that had been, but had now passed, rather than something that was ever-present. Something had changed, he just didn't know what.  
The piece ended and he leant his head on the piano, comforted by it's presence. He remembered the day that Misty had left him. It was probably the worst day of his life, having his best friend just go like that. He stayed there for a while, hoping she'd come back, but she didn't. He gave up on her, and it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. Looking back, he thought it was silly, but as he'd left, he could have sworn he'd heard her voice calling him. He knew he was probably just imagining things though.  
Oh, he'd missed her while she was gone. Ever since the day she'd fished him and Pikachu out of that lake, their adventures had been so epic. Often life threatening, and almost always involving Team Rocket, but epic nonetheless. They had seen breathtaking sights, laughed for days at a time, just been happy. He'd sometimes sit there for hours and remember the days they'd had where everything was perfect, and he'd feel so happy, but at the same time, so cripplingly sad.  
He was never the same after she left. Nobody could be his best friend like she could. Not Max or May. Not Cilan or Iris. Not even Brock. Ash was a changed boy. He threw himself into training, even moreso than he had before, just to make himself forget the pain that he felt every single day. In fact, there wasn't a day where he didn't think of her, and every time he did, he could have sworn he heard his heart break.  
Ash turned his mind back to when Misty had ran out before. He wondered what had bothered her. He had said he missed her and all of a sudden she'd gotten this funny look on her face and run away. Maybe she felt ill or something. Or maybe she had just been really excited to go see Pikachu. He made a mental note to ask her what had been the matter when she returned from her trip to the lab.  
But he thought about what his mom had said, about her needing to figure something out. And as if that wasn't cryptic enough, she had just said that he would find out eventually and walked away. Well, what on earth was that supposed to mean?! Clearly she knew something that he didn't. It was probably just girl stuff. He came to the conclusion that if that was the issue, he probably didn't want to know.  
Either way, something weird was going on with Misty, and the last thing he wanted was to let it ruin his reunion with her, so he would be nice and maybe she would start to feel a little more relaxed. He let out a contented sigh and smiled. He couldn't wait until Misty got back, then they could really talk, just like the old times. He grinned and began to play one of his favourites, laughing gleefully as he did.

Delia stood at the door unnoticed, watching her son. She loved listening to him play that piece, but she never could understand it. When the piece finished, he was silent. He didn't turn around, he was just lost in his own thoughts. She knew exactly was she had to do. Delia walked out of the room with a determined smile on her face... She had a phone call to make.

**Pls pls pls R&R? :3**


	4. Chapter 4

Some time later, Misty reappeared at the Ketchum residence, Pikachu in tow.  
"Misty! Pikachu!" Ash ran through the house to greet them. "You're almost late for dinner!" He then ran back into the kitchen laughing. Misty looked at Pikachu.  
"Is that really still all he ever thinks about?" Misty asked it.  
"Pikachu..." The mouse confirmed, exasperated. They walked into the house to be hit by a delicious smell - Delia's cooking, of course. As they walked into the kitchen, the aroma of the meal hit them.  
"Just in time!" Delia said cheerfully, "Dinner's ready!" They all tucked in - And even Pikachu had some between mouthfuls of it's Pokemon food. Delia really knew how to make a fantastic meal. The only sounds were Misty's compliments of the meal and Ash wolfing the food down. After they had finished, they all sat back in their chairs, delightfully full.  
"That was so delicious, Mrs Ketchum, thank you. And thank you for letting me stay, aswell. I've missed this house. It's just like old times." She stifled a yawn and looked at her watch. "And look at the time! I think I'm gonna go to bed, I'm exhausted; I haven't slept properly since I left Cerulean. Shall I just set myself up on the sofa?"  
"Don't be ridiculous, you can sleep in Ash's room! He still has those old bunks in there, there's plenty of room for the both of you." Delia smiled warmly at them. "And speaking of, I'm going to clean up and go to bed myself. Ash, why don't you go help Misty set up? Goodnight, kids." This was their cue. They all bid Delia goodnight, Pikachu curled up on Ash's hat, and walked up to Ash's bedroom rubbing their full tummies and yawning. Ash helped Misty with her things and without warning, hugged her.  
"What's this for?" she laughed, hugging him back.  
"Just to thank you for coming back. I've missed you. I was going to come and see you while I was back anyway, but honestly, I can't thank you enough for coming here." He murmured into her shoulder. They broke apart, smiling. Misty's face had the slightest of blushes on it.  
"I think I'm gonna go get in the shower before I go to sleep." she smiled as she grabbed her stuff and walked out of the room and into the bathroom.  
"I've really missed her, Pikachu." Ash said to his friend.  
"Pika..." Pikachu mumbled sleepily, followed by a soft snore that indicated the mouse was already asleep. Ash decided to follow suit, changing into an old T-shirt and some flannel pants and getting into bed next to it.  
"Goodnight Pikachu." He whispered, and fell asleep instantly.  
When Misty returned from her shower, more than ready for bed, Ash and Pikachu were already fast asleep. She smiled fondly at them. "At least Ash doesn't snore anymore..." she thought, remembering the many sleepless nights she had due to the insufferable amount of noise he made when he was asleep. "Goodnight." she said softly to them both, and climbed into her bunk and fell asleep.

* * *

Ash woke up in the middle of the night to hear sobbing from above him. He climbed out of bed. "Misty?" he whispered.  
"Oh, Ash, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." Misty sniffled from out of the dark.  
"No chance, you're upset. What's the matter?" Ash rubbed his eyes in an attempt to keep them open. Misty was silent for a few moments.  
"I had a nightmare." Without a word, Ash climbed up into the bed next to her. "Ash, what are you doing?"  
"Clearly, you need comforting. So that's what I'm going to do." He moved her so that she was laying on his chest and encircled her waist with his arms.  
"Thank you." Misty whispered, glad for the darkness so that he could not see the redness of her face - Although, it occured to her, he could probably feel the heat coming from it. If he did, he said nothing.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, holding her tightly as if to let her know that nightmares weren't going to get her while he was there.  
"Not right now. Can we just go back to sleep?" Misty closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted again. The last thing she heard before she dropped off was Ash's voice, a gentle whisper in her ear.  
"Of course. Goodnight, Misty."

**This chapter was probably the most difficult to write for some reason, but I did enjoy writing that end bit there :p Please R&R :3**


	5. Chapter 5

When Ash woke up, he was disoriented, so he was confused to feel a warm, comfortable weight on his chest. He would assume it was Pikachu, but it was heavier, and it fit in his arms perfectly. He also seemed to have hair tickling his face. He opened one eye to see Misty asleep on his chest. Memories of the night before came back, and he smiled. Years ago, this would have been awkward, but now it just felt right to comfort his best frend when she'd had a nightmare. He tightened his grip and she sighed contentedly in her sleep and snuggled further into him. Ash could have honestly watched her sleep all day, she was so beautiful.  
Suddenly, Ash was wide awake. Surely, he did not just think that! Misty was his best friend, for gods sake! He put it down to the fact that he had still been half asleep, and attempted to move. The redhead groaned and burrowed further into his chest. "Having fun, Misty?" He said amusedly. Her eyes shot open and she sat up.  
"Ash! I'm sorry, I just-"  
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm your best friend, right? It's what I'm here for." He smiled at her and she looked at her watch.  
"Eleven. Wow, we overslept." She sat up and stretched.  
"Breakfast?" Ash offered. She accepted and they went downstairs. They walked unto the kitchen and Ash spied a note on the counter. "'Went to pick up a few things. Took Pikachu along for the ride. Pancake mix is in the fridge. Be back in a few hours. Love, mom'" Ash read aloud. "Looks like we have a free house for the morning!"  
By noon, the pancakes were eaten, the kitchen tidied and the two teens sat on the sofa watching TV. They heard the door open and Delia shouted "I'm back! And I have a surprise for you!" Suddenly, a tall figure with squinty eyes bounded into the room.  
"Brock!" Ash and Misty shouted simultaneously.

* * *

"Yep! The three amigos are back together again!" Pikachu whined by Brock's feet. "Of course, I mean four! What are you two still sat there for? Come and give your old pal a hug!" They stood up and hugged him, still in shock.  
"Is something going on here? First Misty comes and now you!" Ash exclaimed suspiciously.  
"What, I can't come and see my old friends?" Brock fake pouted.  
"Aww, who could resist that face? I've missed you, Brock!" Misty laughed.  
"I missed you too! Get it? Mist-y-ou too? My jokes are lost on people..." They both rolled their eyes at him.  
"I'm gonna go get a shower." Ash chuckled and went upstairs. Ash was worse than girls when it came to showering. He'd been known to spend at least 45 minutes in there, so Brock invited Misty to go and sit out in the garden with him. They sat on the swing set in the back yard and reminisced and caught up, just as she and Ash had. Then, Brock changed the subject.  
"So. What's going on with you and Ash?" Misty tried to act nonchalent.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Brock rolled his eyes at her.  
"Misty, please, I've been in love many times-"  
"That wasn't love, that was infatuation." Misty was determine to shoot down everything he said.  
"No, I mean since you guys. Since the Nurse Joys and the Officer Jennys. I learned how to treat a person right, and I really did fall in love a few times... I know what it looks like." Misty gulped.  
"You must be imagining things, Brock, Ash and I are best friends, that's it. Nothing more. There never will be."  
"I don't know why I expect you to admit it to me, when you can't even admit it to yourself. Think about it Misty. Really think about it. Because I think, deep down, you know exactly how you feel about Ash, but it scares you." Brock smiled at her, and then got up and walked back into the house, leaving Misty sat on the swing set far more confused than she had been before.  
She thought about yesterday, the smile and how it had made her feel in her tummy. She thought about the night before, when she had those terrible nightmares, and Ash held her and suddenly everything was alright again, because she was safe. She thought about how amazing it was to wake up like that, how perfectly she had fit into his arms and how she had woken up hearing the sound of his heartbeat, which made her feel so contented. A single thought flashed through her mind.  
'Oh my god, I really am in love with Ash.'

**Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUN. I know that the writing could be better in parts of this chapter, but I'm ever so slowly being drained of inspiration. I will finish this though! Please R&R :3**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is my longest chapter yet, and I really hope you love reading it as much as I've loved writing it! :p Between you and me, this is my favourite chapter ;)**

* * *

When Misty came back inside, Ash was out of the shower and was dressed, but his hair was still wet and was flopping into his eyes, making him look really sexy. He grinned at Misty. "Hey, Mist, what do you wanna do today?" She could swear that an acrobatics team was practicing in her stomach. He called her Mist!  
"Erm, well, I was just gonna take a walk, maybe go to the park." She hadn't really planned that, but she had missed Pallet, so why not?  
"Awesome! I'll come with you! Brock?" Misty had almost forgotten that Brock was there. He turned slightly to Misty and winked.  
"Nah, I'm gonna stay and help your mom out." Misty was mortified. What if Ash had noticed the wink?! What if he figured it out?  
"Well, I'm gonna go and get ready, then." Misty ran upstairs. Ash turned to Brock.  
"That was weird." He shrugged and sat on the sofa to wait for her. Brock sat next to him.  
"So. You like Misty, huh?" If Ash had been drinking, it would have sprayed everywhere. As it were, he began to splutter, while Brock sat there with a satisfied smirk on his face.  
"What?! No! As if! I've known her since forever, I don't... I could never... As if!" The younger male said indignantly.  
"Sure, buddy. I've known you for the same amount of time, I know exactly how you look when you like someone, and that expression on your face right there? That is it." Brock grinned, and sat back with his hands behind his head in triumph as his friend tried to furiously defend himself, until he eventually gave up, slumping on the sofa in defeat. He knew he had won this one.  
"It doesn't matter what I say, you won't believe me, will you?"  
"Not a chance." Brock laughed. Suddenly, Misty came down the stairs. Ash was wowed at how astonishingly beautiful she looked. Yesterday, she wad been exhausted from walking, but today she was just breathtaking. Ash didn't realise he had his mouth open until Brock put his finger beneath his chin and closed it. "Real smooth." He whispered amusedly.  
"You ready to go, Ash?" Misty smiled at him. He nodded and stood up, following her out of the room. He looked back and saw Brock give him a thumbs up and a mock wink, and shot him daggers. "Bye Brock!" Misty shouted, before closing the door. She turned to Ash and smiled warmly. "Let's go to the park."

* * *

They walked in relative, but not uncomfortable silence, towards the park, occasionally commenting on the weather, or Pokemon they saw. When they got there, they sat by the river, and started to talk. If you asked Ash later what they talked about, he would tell you that he had no idea, but he did know one thing: It was this day, these pointless hours sat by the river, basking in the warmth of the sun, that he realised that Brock was right; He really was in love with his best friend.  
In a way, he didn't want this. When he thought of her, he thought of the fiery redhead that had joined him on his journeys around eight years ago, but not of this. These were uncharted waters, a different territory to what he was used to. He had liked girls before, but never like this. He never imagined, in all of those years that Misty would be the person who he would love. But at the same time, he was so... happy. He didn't ever want to ruin that moment.  
Misty was thinking along the same lines. This setting was perfect, the park, the river, the sun. It was such a happy day, and she was so happy just to be living it. She didn't know what they were talking about, but it was so amazing to just talk about nothing, rather than the serious conversations that they would normally have about Pokemon and battles. She was happier than she'd ever been on that day, because suddenly it was like the old days again, but with different feelings. There were no responsibilities to worry about, and they thought about what was happening in that moment, rather than what problems tomorrow might bring. This was most definitely the life, something she wanted to be a part of her every single day.  
After hours, the sun became low in the sky, and they knew that it was time to go home. They walked back to Ash's house considerably browner than they had been when they left, and both a lot happier. Ash took this as the right time to tell her how he felt. "Misty..." he started, but hesitated. Was this something that he really wanted to confess? She was, after all, his best friend. What if he ruined his relationship with her?  
"Yes, Ash?" Damn it, she had heard him. Well, he supposed it was too late to back out now. He stopped walking and she followed suit, confused.  
"Well, I just wanted to say... I suppose, what I mean is... Oh, damn it all." He crashed his lips to hers. In that instant, he didn't think, he just let himself feel. Misty was so surprised that she didn't respond. Ash pulled away, mortified. "I'm so sorry, I just..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead running back to the house and leaving her standing there on her own, too shocked to go after him.

**Ooooooh! R&R? :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sadly, this story is drawing to an end :( I'd say one more chapter, two if I really try, andddd an epilogue - If you're lucky ;)**

* * *

Ash ran straight home and up into his room, not even stopping to talk to Brock or his mom. Pikachu scampered up with him, but didn't ask what was wrong. It knew that he didn't want to talk, he just needed time to be silent. To think about what he had done. And that was all he was doing, he was just remembering the kiss, and the way she had just stood there and not responded at all.  
He couldn't believe he had done that! He was so stupid! He must have misread signals or something, because he had no clue where he had gotten the idea to kiss her from! He had probably ruined their friendship forever. He let out a whimper and willed himself not to cry. Pikachu rubbed it's paw against Ash's face in comfort, desperate to know what it could do to make him feel better. Ash hugged Pikachu, curling up with it and crying himself to sleep.

* * *

Misty stood in the same position for five minutes. When she had finally calmed down enough to move, she lifted a shaky hand and gently traced her lips, remembering the feeling of his lips on them. That had been her first real kiss, and the feel of Ash's soft, perfect lips would forever be imprinted in her mind. She would always remember that exact moment on this perfect day.  
She couldn't understand why he had run away though! Maybe he hadn't meant to do it. Maybe he thought she was a bad kisser and was horrified. She began to walked back to the house, a million possibilities swirling through her mind. Maybe Brock would have the answers. She thought about telling him, but then decided against it. She could only imagine what he would say.  
She reached the house and stepped inside. She could smell that dinner was cooked. Delia walked out into the hall. "Hello, Misty. Would you run upstairs and tell Ash that dinner is ready, dear?"  
"Of course, Mrs Ketchum." Misty walked up the stairs and knocked on the door to Ash's room. When she got no response, she entered to see him fast asleep. His face was puffy and his eyes swollen. Clearly he had been crying. Misty's heart sank. She hated to see her best friend like that. She sighed, and tiptoed out of the room, deciding not to wake him. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen. "Mrs Ketchum, I don't think Ash is feeling too good, he's asleep and he doesn't look well. Pikachu is up there with him." When Delia looked concerned, she added "I'm sure he's fine, he probably just needs to sleep it off." Delia still looked worried, but let it go.  
"Well, I cooked dinner tonight, my treat, so let's dig in!" Brock said enthusiastically.

* * *

When Misty came back upstairs, Ash and Pikachu were still asleep. She left some food for them both on the dresser, just in case they woke up hungry in the middle of the night. She was really worried about Ash. She knew that he wasn't ill, and his upset was something to do with the day's events. She showered and got ready for bed, trying to think of what she had done wrong, but coming up with nothing. Once she was ready for bed, she took one last look at Ash, breathing softly and looking far more at peace than he ever had, and whispered "I'm so sorry..." before climbing into bed and falling into an uneasy sleep.  
That night, Misty had the same nightmares again, but slightly different. She'd always had nightmares like this. They were always about people close to her dying. This time it was about Ash. She woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night and immediately burst into tears. She tried to be silent, but just like the night before, Ash woke up. Without saying a word, he climbed into her bunk, his eyes heavy with sleep, and they lay in the same position that they had the previous night - it was almost as if the days events had never happened.  
Misty felt so safe in his arms. it was like his tight grip around her waist was protecting her, shielding her from the terrors she saw in her dreams. Her biggest fear was seeing people close to her die, so her dreams were the scariest things she could imagine. They were so real, she could never differentiate between dream and reality. Soon enough, she drifted back to sleep, happy in the knowledge that no harm could befall her whilst Ash was keeping her safe.

**Pweeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaase R&R :3**


	8. Chapter 8

**Apart from the epilogue, this is my last, and longest, chapter. I enjoyed writing it. It amused me.**

* * *

When Misty woke up the next morning, Ash wasn't under her, like he had been the previous morning. Yesterdays events came back to her in a flood of memory, and she dropped her head into her hands. She wished so hard that he had stayed around so that she could have told him how she felt. And then last night, even after what had happened earlier that day, he was still there for her when she needed him. She stayed in bed for as long as she could, before heading downstairs.  
"Good morning Brock, Mrs Ketchum." She looked around. "Where are Ash and Pikachu?"  
"Oh, they went for a jog. They should be back soon." Delia smiled. On cue, she heard the front door open.  
"We're home, mom!" Ash and Pikachu walked into the living room. Ash was sweaty and panting as he pulled out his iPod earphones. Misty was practically drooling, all she could think about was how sexy he looked right there. She knew exactly what would happen if they were alone... Misty came out of her reverie to notice that she was most certainly not alone; Everybody in the room was staring at her, and it was at that point that she noticed that she hadn't been practically drooling at all. She had literally dooled. She reverted to staring at her feet, embarrased.  
Ash looked away as quickly as he had looked at her. Her behaviour was... well, odd, but he put it to the back of his mind. He could barely look at her after yesterday. Now, he was no longer embarrassed about kissing her, it was more that he was feeling the cold sting of rejection, and he was angry that it had hurt him so much. He had shown a moment of weakness the night before when he had climbed into her bed, but it wouldn't happen again. He would make sure of it.  
Misty noticed how quickly he looked away from her and felt a stab of pain in her chest. She had to do something about this. No matter what happened between them, she couldn't let herself be treated so harshly by her best friend. Ash left the room to go to his bedroom, and Misty waited a few minutes, and decided to follow him up there. She knocked on his bedroom door tentatively with no answer, so she decided he mustn't have heard her and just walked straight in. Ash whipped around.  
"Hey! What are you-" Misty cut him off.  
"Nope, my turn to talk. I want to know why exactly you are angry at me, blanking me, and pretty much treating me like shit on your fucking shoe!" Ash knew Misty was angry now, she never swore.  
"I don't know what-"  
"Don't play dumb with me, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Is this..." Misty faltered. "Is this about the kiss yesterday? Cause, I'm sorry if I did something wrong..." All of a sudden, Misty wasn't the fiery redhead anymore, she was a vulnerable child, still so unsure of herself.  
"Yes, actually, you fucking did do something wrong!" Ash exploded, and Misty flinched at the harsh voice. "You led me on, and then you rejected me. And that hurt." He looked down at his feet.  
"Rejected you?" Misty was confused now, how had she rejected him?  
"Yes, rejected me. I kissed you and you didn't even respond. It's so petty, but I'd just thought... Oh, never mind." Suddenly, it was all clear to her. She grinned.  
"Oh, you idiot." She grabbed him by his jacket and shoved him against the wall, kissing him bruisingly. It didn't take a second before he was responding just as fiercely, one hand on the small of her back and the other on her neck.  
After an immeasurable amount of time, they broke apart, panting. They stayed in the same position, but with her head leaning against his chest, for a while longer. His thumb stroked the back of her neck. "When we kissed yesterday... You didn't even respond."  
"I'm sorry about that, I guess I was just so shocked that I didn't know how to respond. I had no idea that you felt the same way." Misty murmured into his chest. Suddenly, his stomach let out a loud grumble. Misty laughed. "You always ruin nice moments somehow, Ash." They chuckled together and walked downstairs hand in hand.

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When they reached downstairs, their clasped hands were immediately noticed by everyone present. Delia squealed, Pikachu began to bounce in excitement and Brock gave them a knowing smirk. Ash rubbered the back of his neck in embarrassment.  
"Yeah, well, let's not make a big deal of it, huh, mom?" Of course, this would never be the case.  
"Oh, how can I not make a big deal! My baby boy is all grown up now that he has a girlfriend! And what a perfect girl!" She pulled Misty into a tight hug. "I've been waiting for you two to get together for so long!"  
"Okay, mom, just stop smothering her!"  
"It's okay, she's just happy for us!" Misty laughed/mumbled from Delia's bosom. The older woman pulled away and, squealing about telling some friend or other, ran away. Pikachu ran and jumped into Ash's arms and began talking to him. It sounded like a warning, and Ash looked kind of nervous, before he pulled both Misty and Pikachu into a tight hug. They almost looked like a family.  
Last of the congratulations was Brock. He didn't even have to say anything, he just grinned. He was the person who had given them that slight push in the right direction of getting together, of course. He gave them both a swift hug. "I've enjoed my stay, but now my work here is done. It's time for me to go home again." They were stunned.  
"What do you mean your work is done?" Ash said unhappily.  
"Ash, the real reason I'm here is because your mom called me. She saw that you guys liked eachother, but you weren't gonna act on it, so you needed help. The only person she could think of was the luuuurve god." Brock winked and Ash spluttered.  
"Brock, have you ever not been rejected?" he laughed. Brock mock punched him, but then became serious.  
"This is goodbye, buddy. Let's not make it years before I see you again, huh?" Brock and Ash both had tears in their eyes; Misty was Ash's best friend, but Brick had always been the closest thing to an older brother he'd had. Brock held out his hand to shake, but the younger boy instead shook his head and pulled him into a tight hug. When they broke apart, they both looked extremely watery-eyed. Misty squeezed Ash's hand comfortingly. "Goodbye, Ash. Goodbye, Misty. Goodbye, Pikachu. I love you all." Without another word or looking back, Brock walked away.  
Misty slipped her arms around Ash's neck and nestled her face into his shoulder. She could see that he needed her right now. They went back up to Ash's room, forgetting the food they had gone to get in the first place. Ash shut the door and turned around and kissed her. She smiled into the kiss and pulled away, leading him to the bed and just laying with him. This was Misty's perfect slice of forever.

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**Sadness. :( By Brock. :( Please R&R :3**


	9. Epilogue

Misty sat on the riverbank where she had fished Ash and Pikachu out of the water so many years ago. It was one month later, and the late autumn sun danced on Misty's bronzed skin. This summer had been the best of her life. Every single day she had done nothing of value, just sat around and talked about nothing with Ash; every night she had slept safely in Ash's arms, protected from the nightmares.  
This was the perfect place to talk to him. It was, after all, where everything had started. They had only been in a relationship for a month, and she really hoped that he didn't react badly to what she was going to say. She had called him here, told him to leave Pikachu at home, that she needed it to be just the two of them. She had sat by the river all day, nervous, just waiting to tell him.  
"Misty?" He approached her, taking in the beauty of her face when the sunlight was on her.  
"Hi, Ash." She smiled, gesturing for him to take a seat next him her. He did so cautiously.  
"Why did you ask me to come here?" Misty took a deep breath.  
"Well, this summer has been so perfect. Sometimes I questioned whether it was real or not. Which makes me even more apprehensive about saying this."  
"Misty, what are you trying to say?" He was getting nervous.  
"I just don't want to ruin things, so please don't react badly, just acknowledge that I need to say this, I really to. Ash, I think that it's time... that I told you I love you." Ash breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Oh, Mist, I thought you were breaking up with me!" Ash laughed. "I love you too, of course I do." He slung his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him, clinging to his waist as if she never wanted to let go. "Y'know, it's all clear to me now. The song I wrote. It was about you. It was calm and peaceful at first, showing how we were friends in the early days. Then it was happy, showing the last few months, when we really were best friends. And then it was sad. It was so sad, you had left me and I was just so unbelievably sad. It was all about you. Now all I need is my happy ending." He smiled at her. All of a sudden, she could see her future. She could see herself being held by him every night. She could see their wedding, their kids. She could see them growing old together, being the perfect family and forever having an infinite amount of love for each other. She could see her forever, it was in sight. This was her heaven.

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**So, this story has come to a end. I just want to thank you all for reading, and for the absolutely lovely reviews you've given me. You guys are the best, you're really what I write for. Until next time! :3  
****~Rhi**


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